The Hangover Part III Opening Earlier To Beat Fast Six

This seems to happen every summer. Blockbusters claim their release dates, then change them as the release date grows closer. Star Trek Into Darkness was the first tentpole to jump its gun, moving ahead one day after Paid Sneak Peeks were selling out across the country. Now a major comedy is moving up the release schedule in an effort to distance itself from a fast-paced competitor.

Todd Phillips’ The Hangover Part III, the final chapter in his bawdy trilogy, will now open on Thursday, May 23, according to the Twitter feed of Exhibitor Relations. The site claims that the third Hangover is making the move to “try to get the jump” on Justin Lin’s Fast & Furious Six, which also is roaring into theaters over the Memorial Day weekend. And yes, both movies – while different – will be going after a lot of the same audience members, so folks can now plan to see the last adventure of The Wolfpack one day earlier. Then they can jump in Vin Diesel’s passenger seat the following day.

In the final Hangover, the guys try to admit Alan (Zach Galifianakis) into a mental-help facility, only to run into trouble with a mobster (John Goodman) who has a grudge to settle with Chow (Ken Jeong). With their close friend Doug (Justin Bartha) kidnapped, the guys have to unearth Chow and rendezvous in Las Vegas … where the trilogy began years ago.

Here’s the most recent trailer for The Hangover Part III, which also finds room for Heather Graham and Melissa McCarthy. Will you be there on opening night?